Australia’s top golfers will not only return to the Olympic family in one year’s time, they’ll do so wearing brand new logos.
As the countdown to Rio 2016 hits the one-year mark today, the Australian Olympic Committee has launched its new branding in Sydney.
Gone are the three entirely different logos of the team, the committee and the fans, replaced by one element with three variations.
AOC chief executive Fiona de Jong said it wasn’t “change for change sake”, but a concerted effort to modernise in line with the entire Olympic movement.
“We took the opportunity to ask our athletes and the Australian public about our emblem and marks to see what was most loved about the Australian Olympic brand,” de Jong said.
“What we heard was a strong desire to preserve the history and heritage of the brand but modernise the emblem so it feels fresher and resonates more strongly with future generations.”
Elements of both the coat of arms (animals) and national flag (star) remain alongside the Olympic rings, with national sporting colours green and gold prominent.
“These are the colours our athletes and sports fans most connect with,” de Jong said.
“These all come together in a clean, modern, simple and strong way (and) for the first time we have one emblem that unites the committee, our teams, our sponsors and our nation.
“Everyone can wear it, wave it and win in it.”
Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt said the new logos and buzz around the countdown made the Rio campaign suddenly more pressing.
“The countdown to golf’s return to the Olympic family is also ticking – and we couldn’t be more excited,” Pitt said.
“To see the new logos unveiled, it hits home how close we’re getting to making this a reality in Rio.
“There’s been a lot of positive feedback and commentary from our athletes recently and as this countdown gathers pace, competition for those berths is sure to escalate even further.”